


The Speech of Burrowing Beasts

by dwarrowdams



Series: Eadgyd, But Not Sad [15]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Gen, Rabbits, Talking Animals, kinda??
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-08
Updated: 2021-01-08
Packaged: 2021-03-18 19:26:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28623273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dwarrowdams/pseuds/dwarrowdams
Summary: After learning how to speak with burrowing creatures, Eadgyd is able to understand Cassia.
Series: Eadgyd, But Not Sad [15]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1877335
Kudos: 2
Collections: All the Eadgyd All the Time





	The Speech of Burrowing Beasts

**Author's Note:**

> In our campaign, we unlocked Beorn's House as a sanctuary, which allowed for some cool new abilities, like learning how to speak with animals.
> 
> Obviously Eadgyd learned how to talk with burrowing beasts bc bunnies. I may or may not have cried every time I thought of this for a week because that is literally the dream.

For once, Eadgyd had the house to herself.

Avina, Hild, and the children had gone for a walk: partially to teach Eadgar and Anhaga how to find food in the woods, but largely to help Hild improve her stamina. She was able to move around the house and do daily tasks by herself, but still struggled to stand or walk for long periods of time, which meant that she needed to be careful in the smithy or when sparring. Thankfully, Eadgyd now knew enough about blacksmithing to help Hild, which had put her in much better spirits. Hild had helped her immensely in recovering her strength after she lost her arm and Eadgyd was glad to repay the favor.

Hild’s continued recovery had filled the household with hope. It had been a difficult few years, and for now, Eadgyd was glad to sit comfortably with a cup of tea and Cassia—that is, if the rabbit hadn’t run off.

“Cass?” she called. “Are you still here?”

She heard the click of Cassia’s nails on the floor moments before the rabbit came into sight. As Cassia hopped into the room, Eadgyd heard a gentle, sniffly voice. “Water’s all gone,” it said. “I’ll go out to find some—don’t want to trouble Mistress; she has enough troubles and there’s water outside.”

It took her by surprise for a moment, but Eadgyd soon realized that the voice came from Cassia. “Oh Cass, I’m so sorry!” she said as she jumped up. “I’ll go get you more water right away.”

Cassia paused, her ears leaning forward. “Mistress can understand?” she said.

“Yes,” Eadgyd said, tears shining in her eyes. “Beorn taught me to understand the speech of rabbits and other burrowing beasts. I might not be able to understand you all the time, but I will sometimes.”

Cassia danced, running in circles around the room, hindered only by the walls and furniture. Eadgyd smiled down at her. “I’m happy too,” she said. “And I’m going to bring you some more water.”

She heard what might’ve been an affirmative noise from Cassia before she grabbed a bucket and went out to the well. She only needed a little to fill the rabbit’s dish, but Avina would be making dinner once she returned and Eadgyd was happy to save her (or Eadgar) a trip out to the well. Once she was back home with the bucket, she filled Cassia’s dish and set the rest of the water in the kitchen. “Cassia, water!” she called.

The rabbit hopped into the room and drank deeply from her dish, turning to Eadgyd when she was done. “Thank you,” she said. “Didn’t mean to trouble you.”

Eadgyd reached down, giving Cassia’s nose a single stroke. “You’re never troubling me to ask for water or food,” she replied. “Or attention. You’re so good to me and you deserve the best in return.”

In lieu of a response, Cassia nudged Eadgyd’s hand. Eadgyd didn’t need to know the speech of beasts to understand that Cassia wanted to be pet. She sat down on the floor and stroked the rabbit, murmuring to her fondly. Cassia lowered her head and began to grind her teeth, clearly pleased with Eadgyd’s attentions.

“You don’t have to call me ‘mistress,’ you know,” Eadgyd said as she continued stroking Cassia. “You can call me Eadgyd—or Addy, if you like.”

Cassia looked up, tilting her head at Eadgyd. “Your name is not in our tongue,” she said. “I call you Mistress or—” 

What followed was a series of small noises that Eadgyd couldn’t interpret but assumed was what rabbits—and perhaps other burrowing beasts—called her.

At Eadgyd’s confused expression, Cassia offered an explanation. “Our name for you is Rosebush, for you are strong and fierce but also soft and beautiful,” she said.

“That’s a wonderful name,” Eadgyd said. “Did you think it up yourself?”

Cassia shook her head. “Mother gave it to you when you brought them to Grandmother,” she said. “Your hands are gentle, but they protect, like a rose and thorns.”

It took Eadgyd a moment to realize that Cassia spoke of Sage and Frida. She smiled, finding it amusing that there were creatures on this earth that viewed her youngest sister—a woman who hadn’t yet seen her thirtieth winter—as their grandmother. “Your mother was scarcely more than a week old when I brought them home,” Eadgyd said. “I’m surprised that Sage remembered.”

“You rescued Mother from the cruel men and their hidden jaws,” Cassia said. “They hid the jaws in the earth and the jaws took Mother’s family.”

Eadgyd stroked Cassia, tears springing to her eyes as she realized that Sage’s mother—and their siblings as well, perhaps—had been caught in a trap. “I’m just glad Sage got to have a home with us,” Eadgyd said. “Your mother was wonderful, and I cared for them very much.”

“Mother was glad to call you kin,” Cassia said, her eyes drifting shut as Eadgyd stroked her. “I am glad too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Okay I promise that I will FOR REAL post the next chapter in the Eadgar Lives AU soon (it's all ready to go and everything). It's just been *waves hand vaguely at the attempted coup*
> 
> Please comment/kudos if you enjoyed!
> 
> Tumblr: dwarrowdams  
> Twitter: @_tenderqueer  
> TikTok: @tenderqueer


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